verb · formal
consume
UK/kənˈsjuːm/US/kənˈsuːm/con·SUME
Band 6-7task2speaking
to eat or use something, often in a large amount or as a formal/neutral verb
Examples
“People in the city consume more fast food than in rural areas.”
“The household consumes most of its electricity in winter.”
“He consumed the sandwich in two bites.”
Band 8 sentence
“If societies continue to consume resources at the current rate, future generations will face severe shortages.”
Collocations
- consume energy/resources
- consume food/drink
- consumer goods
Word family
consumer nounconsumption noun
Common mistakes
use 'eat' in an academic essay instead of 'consume'→consume
translate 'consume' word-by-word as 'tiêu hoá' or 'tiêu thụ' mà không để ý ngữ cảnh→consume
Say it for a higher band
5eat→6use→7+consume
Synonyms
eat
Easily confused
use up
“The factory uses up a large amount of water every day.”
Related words
Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.
In Food & Cooking
Learn it with its set